8th of November
by Garace
Summary: The team approaches Murdock after escaping from Fort Bragg. Face comforts Murdock. One-shot


They were over the wall within a wink of the eye. The trail was assigned for the next day, but nobody was stopping them.

Colonel Hannibal Smith stopped at nothing to get his men to safety. Using special military tactics, his men went over the wall and fled to safety.

Fugitives in their own country, they focused on one goal and one goal only. To get their chopper pilot with them.

During the war, they had been captured by the Vietnamese when their medic plane crashed. H.M Murdock was the pilot, he spent endless nights blaming himself. The blaming ended up causing the Captain to drive himself insane.

After the Hanoi bank job, Murdock was admitted to the VA somewhere in the US. The team was determined to find him.

Face was Murdock's best friend. They had been through everything together, even sharing the same pallet after beatings in the Hooch's they stayed in.

He was mostly worried about his friend, he had been driven insane. Would he reconize them?

They checked all the local VA's in California but they found him in the San Fransico one.

As they approached his room, you could hear his consitant muttering and then a song started up.

 _"Said goodbye to his momma as he left South Dakota_

 _To fight for the red, white and blue_

 _He was 19 and green with a new M-16_

 _Just doing what he had to do_

 _He was dropped in the jungle where the choppers would rumble_

 _With the smell of napalm in the air_

 _And the sergeant said...look up ahead_

 _Like a dark evil cloud, 1,200 came down on him and 29 more_

 _They fought for their lives but most of them died in the 173rd Airborne."_

Face shot a worried look at Hannibal and opened the door. The singing didn't stop.

Murdock was curled up in his bed, knees up to his chest, hands over his ears.

B.A sucked in a deep breath and crossed his arms, then shot a glance at Hannibal. Hannibal's blue eyes were sharp and held sadness. The Colonel nodded at Face.

Face crossed the room and sat down gently on the edge of the bed. "Murdock?" The lieutenant's voice was soft and filled with worry.

 _"On the 8th of November the angels were crying_

 _As they carried his brothers away_

 _With the fire raining down and the hell all around_

 _There were few men left standing that day_

 _Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky_

 _1965, the 8th of November."_

Face bit his lip and looked over at the Captain. "Murdock," he said a little bit louder.

The singing stopped and silence filled the room. The pilot turned and sat up, a blank expression on his face.

Murdock had seen this scene so many times, he didn't believe it for a second. Ever since he had been admitted here, they shoved so many drugs down his throat. They made him imagine that the team was actually coming for him.

Face saw the way his best friend looked right through him. Like he wasn't actually there, like he was a mirage.

And it broke his heart.

Face reached over and tapped on Murdock's thigh. Three taps, a pause, then two taps.

 _M_

Four taps, a pause, five taps.

 _U_

Four taps, a pause, two taps.

 _R_

One tap, a pause, four taps.

 _D_

Three taps, a pause, four taps.

 _O_

One tap, a pause, three taps.

 _C_

One tap, a pause, three taps.

 _K_

That got Murdock's attention, this was a new one. All the other Face's never used the tap code.

The glaze lifted from the Captain's eyes as he focused on the Con man. "Face...?"

Face smiled and let out a breath he had been holding in. "Yeah, yeah it's me." He threw his arms around the Pilot and squeazed him tightly.

Murdock let his eyes drift close and rested his chin on Face's shoulder. "'t's really you."

Hannibal smiled behind the pair, Murdock had been in here for roughly almost a year.

"Wha' happened to tha' trail?" Murdock pulled away for the Leiutenant's embrace.

"Over the wall, by the way. Has a Colonel named Lynch stopped by?" Hannibal pulled a cigar out of his coat pocket.

Murdock swallowed hard and shook his head. "No, why?"

Face stood up, "can you get out of here on your own?"

"Yeah, I've done it loads of times." Murdock said, his voice still shaky.

"We'll be outside in a black and red van," B.A said before nodding to the team.

They walked outside and sat in their new van. B.A was behing the wheel and Hannibal beside him.

Face sat in the backseat, legs bouncing nervously. A few minutes later, Murdock came running out, B.A started the van.

He jumped into the seat next to Face and closed the door. His brown eyes were wild but it looked like he enjoyed the rush.

Face smiled as the Captain pulled on his brown jacket. Then began petting the floor.

"Do ya mind if Billy comes with us?" Murdock looked over at B.A and smiled weakly.

"Who's Billy?" B.A grunted and turned around.

"My dog," Murdock said simpily.

B.A shook his head and drove away from the VA. They went out for lunch at a local dinner. Murdock was twitchy and didn't say much.

Face was worried about his friend. He wasn't the same, sometimes Face would find him tapping on his shoe.

 _Help_ , was the most common word. _Food, water, Face_ were the runners up.

Hannibal shot a glance at Face, "so Captain. How are you these days?"

"Good," Murdock said. "VA is okay, they give me video games and let Billy have a bed. It's okay I guess."

Face smiled and patted his friend's shoulder. "Can you still fly?"

"Took my license," Murdock shrugged. "But I still know how."

"I ain't flyin'," B.A gruffed.

"Of course not B.A," Hannibal smiled.

After some lunch, Face volunteered to sneak Murdock back into his room. B.A flipped the switch to shut the lights off and they snuck up to his room.

Murdock sat down on his bed, his eyes cast down to his trembling hands. Face sat down beside him.

"You okay buddy?" Face said and wrapped his arm around his friend's waist.

The Captain shook his head, "I feel like I'm going to wake up and it's all going to be a joke."

"It's not, okay?" Face said, "I'll come and visit you soon. Okay?" Then the con man picked up a peice of paper and wrote down his number. "Call me on this number if you need anything."

Murdock nodded silently before pulling off his shoes. Face climbed back out the window before the lights came on again.

As he climbed back into his seat, Hannibal turned around and looked at him. "How is he kid?"

"He doesn't believe any of this is real," Face said quietly. "I miss the old Murdock."

"So do I."

 _Said goodbye to his momma as he left South Dakota_

 _To fight for the red, white and blue_

 _He was 19 and green with a new M-16_

 _Just doing what he had to do_

 _He was dropped in the jungle where the choppers would rumble_

 _With the smell of napalm in the air_

 _And the sergeant said...look up ahead_

 _Like a dark evil cloud, 1,200 came down on him and 29 more_

 _They fought for their lives but most of them died in the 173rd Airborne_

 _On the 8th of November the angels were crying_

 _As they carried his brothers away_

 _With the fire raining down and the hell all around_

 _There were few men left standing that day_

 _Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky_

 _1965, the 8th of November_

 _Now he's 58 and his pony tail's gray_

 _But the battle still plays in his head_

 _He limps when he walks but he's strong when he talks_

 _About the Shrapnel they left in his leg_

 _He puts on a gray suit over his Airborne tattoo_

 _And he ties it on one time a year_

 _And remembers the fallen as he orders a tall one_

 _And swallows it down with his tears_

 _Saw the eagle fly through a clear blue sky_

 _1965..._

 _On the 8th of November the angels were crying_

 _As they carried his brother away_

 _With the fire raining down and the hell all around_

 _There were few men left standing that day_

 _Said goodbye to his momma as he left South Dakota_

 _TO fight for the red, white and blue_

 _He was nineteen and green with a new M-16_

 _Just doing what he had to do_


End file.
